Sultan Kudarat teachers, parents face challenges in school opening preps

Parents and teachers in Sultan Kudarat have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year, which will open on August 24, but have found themselves beset by several challenges.

According to a “24 Oras Weekend” report by Jamie Santos on Sunday, announcements concerning the Roquildo Talapian Sr. Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Paril, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat will be done through a handheld two-way radio.

“Isang napakalaking challenge sa aming mga guro, higit lalo sa ating mga magulang kung paano namin sila maaabot kaya nag-isip kami ng mga alternatibong paraan,” school head Ian Fritz Manzan said.

One person in each sitio will be assigned to monitor announcements through the radio and disseminate the information to other residents by foot.

Parents' and students’ questions to their teachers on the learning modules will also be coursed through the individuals assigned to the radio.

Teachers earlier hopped on boats to go house-to-house to disseminate information on this system.

Former Education Assistant Secretary and now parent-teacher association chairman Atty. Jun Abelita wants to delay the school opening given the challenges.

“Wala pang kahanda-handa para magbukas ng klase. Kawawa naman po ang ating mga guro… kasi sila ngayon ang nalalagay sa alanganin,” he said. “Kami po ay nananawagan sa ating Pangulo… Sana naman, what is two months or three months in waiting rather than go through a process na hindi natin sigurado?”

“We are two weeks away from opening and yet the modules are not yet prepared. Wala pa diyan ang printing. Ang problema sa printing, who will shoulder the cost? I will bet my last cent, teachers na naman ito at the end of the day ang magpapa-imprenta ng mga modules,” Abelita added.

GMA News has sought the Department of Education’s comment on the matter.

The department earlier said the Philippines was ready for blended learning amid the pandemic.  — Julia Mari Ornedo/DVM, GMA News